The Answer Should Have Been Yes
by Dyassie
Summary: A short romantic ending picking up the day after the movie. What Jareth could have done and how Sarah might have reacted.


The Answer Should Have Been Yes

Just a short romantic ending picking up the day after the movie.

* * *

He waited until he saw her. The moment she came into view, his lips curled into a smile. He knew she would come. She loved it here. And she was alone like always. And the park was empty. Perfect.

Struggling to hold back, he delayed until she neared where he was hiding. As soon as she passed the trees, he stepped out.

The noise startled her. She jumped and then instinctively glanced behind her rotating to the source of the noise. When she did, she froze.

He approached her stretching a hand out. Seeing him closing the distance, she stumbled backwards. "No…what do you want…you cannot have him…"

"I am not here for him." His long strides easily closed the distance between them even with her retreat from him. Reaching her, he imprisoned her in his arms. "I came for you, to do what I should have done before."

What little resistance she had tried to put up against him arms, she had creased realizing it would be useless against him. "What?" Her eyes were wide with fear, afraid of what was he intended.

"This." He brushed his lips across hers. "And this." His lips gently pressed against hers lightly parting hers, kissing her. "And this as well." Those gentle lips became hungry as his mouth passionately invaded hers.

He drew back his head staring into her eyes. "I should have used more than just words to prove my love and convince you to stay with me. I never wanted the boy. I only took him because you asked me to. It was you I wanted."

She just blankly stared up at him, not fully comprehending what was happening. It had only been the night before she had wished her brother away and fought this man to get him back. Now he was here expressing his love to her. Was this even real?

"Why?" Her mind could not form the words to ask more.

"Because I love you." His eyes held such genuine affection that she knew this was no guise of his.

"You love me?" Her heart thudded even harder than when he had kissed her.

"Yes, I love you."

She felt her face grew warm. "I don't know what to say…"

He grasped her shoulders. "Just say that there is a small chance you could care for me. I will change my cruel ways. Treat Hoghead kindly. Whatever it takes. Just allow me a chance to win your heart."

"Hoggle."

He nodded his eyes eager to please. "Yes, Hoggle. I will try to remember that."

Seeing his sincerity, she made a decision. "I need to be completely honest here."

The look of worry passed over his face. "Go ahead."

She pushed his arms down from her shoulders, taking ahold of his hands. "I do not love you."

The pain in his eyes struck her hard. "Fine then, I will go but I will always be there for you." He made an effort to pull away.

She squeezed his hands, holding tight. "Wait and let me finish. I cannot say that I love you, because unlike you I am not there yet, but I do feel something."

The light came back in his eyes as he brought her hand up to his lips. "You do?"

She pulled her hand from his. "Yes, I do. I am not saying it is the beginnings of love." She pressed a hand over his heart. "But I would like to find out, to follow these feelings."

He picked her up spinning her around. Catching up her legs, he cradled her against his chest kissing her deeply. "You will not regret allowing me to court you."

She gave him a small uncomfortable smile. "Please put me down." Once settled on her feet, she turned to him. "Please do not get your hopes up too high. This could result in nothing."

His finger stroked her cheek. "Or everything." His lips curled upward. "That is why you are willing to try."

She gave a silly laugh. "I guess you are right."

Cupping her chin, he inquired, "When can I come to you again?"

"Tomorrow, here in the park, same time."

"I will be here."

"Till then." Hesitating, she leaned up kissing his cheek. Walking away, she glance back to add, "By the way, please do not lurk outside my window tonight. I saw you come back after everyone left late night."

He looked at her with amazement. "You knew it was me."

She smiled back. "Well, you followed me around in that form before I ever saw you turn into the real you. And courting does not include stalking me."

He bowed to her. "Of course. You have my word. My heart will long for your return."

She could not suppress the smile as she walked away. Feeling giddy, she could not wait for the next day and her meeting with Jareth to occur.

The next day, she bounded down the stairs wearing a flowing white summer dress.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding her younger brother, her stepmother noticed, "You look extra nice today."

Stopping at the mirror, Sarah doubled checked her hair soothing it back down. "Thank you."

Seeing that for once, her stepdaughter was willing to accept a compliment from her, the stepmother lightly teased, "I think someone might have met a boy."

Sarah blushed. "Maybe." She quickly laid a kiss on her younger brother's cheek and, in her joy, on her stepmother's cheek as well. "I will be back before supper. Bye." She ducked out the door before her stepmother could ask questions.

Making her way to the spot in the park where he had surprised her, Sarah looked around searching for him.

"You are a vision."

She smiled as she turned around to catch her own breath just like she had to do every time she saw him.

"You're here."

He closed the distance between them. "I said I would be."

"I am glad. I…I…" She looked down almost too embarrassed and unsure of whether to actually say it. Looking back up, she opened her heart. "I was almost afraid it was a dream. That I had dreamt it all and you would not be here."

Enclosing her in his arms, he asked, "Could this be a dream?" He leaned down and kissed her. "Could a dream have kissed you like that yesterday?"

"No." She shook her head before hugging him laying her head against his shoulder.

They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on a park bench talking and laughing with Sarah allowing Jareth to steal a few more kisses from her. She found it amazing that she felt more comfortable with him than she ever had with anybody else in her life.

Hearing the clock strike, her head rotated to it expressing a groan. Standing up, she bit her bottom lip with longing. "I need to go. I told my stepmother I would be back by suppertime."

He stood up with her taking her hand. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

As he leaned in to kiss her, she stopped him. "Wait."

"What it is?"

"This." She leaned in kissing him. "I wanted to be the one to kiss you this time."

This made him smile. "Anytime. Till tomorrow."

Over the course of the next two weeks, the two met every day and Sarah found herself falling further and further for him.

"Jareth." He had just sat down on the bench snuggling up beside her. "Yes?"

"Everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when I said this might result in nothing but you said it could result in everything?"

"I remember," he said with a smile beginning to get an understanding of what Sarah meant by this.

"Everything Jareth. It resulted in everything." She slid a hand up holding his cheek. "I love you."

He turned his head taking her hand. Kissing her palm, "I have been waiting to hear those words from you and the joy in my heart cannot even match half of what I thought I would feel. I love you so much."

He kissed her with such passion that others in the park who saw them blushed turning away.

"Let us go home then Sarah."

Understanding that he meant the Underground, she had to refuse. "I…I cannot Jareth."

"What? But you just said…" She saw the anger and confusion in his eyes.

"Jareth, I am only sixteen. I cannot just up and leave. I am not rejecting you and would love to go to the Underground with you, but I have to be reasonable. When the time is right, I will go to the Underground with you."

"When?"

It happened shortly after Sarah graduated school. Jareth and she were wedded in front of her family and friends, with a few of her Underground friends hidden in the shadows. After the ceremony, they left under the pretense that they were moving to Jareth's family estate across seas where his job was located and they would come back to visit as often as possible.

"Welcome home," Jareth told her as they arrived back at his castle. Although they had been nearly inseparable for the past two years, Sarah had not been back to the Underground or castle since her previous trip.

"Home." She smiled looking around. "Yes, it is home." She looked back at him wrapping her arms around his neck. "But only because you are here."

"And you."

They kissed.

"Love me and I will be your slave." He did not want her to fear or obey him like he had asked her to at one time. Loving him was enough.

"Yes. The answer should have always been yes."

* * *

I had initially meant it to be that Jareth just comes in sweeping her off her feet carrying her straight back to the Underground that day, but in writing the story changed. Also, I was going to just end it after Sarah told him she loved him but I felt it was a little unfinished. So this is what I ended up with. Hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
